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Oregon State Beavers transfer Jalen Grimble finds new home in Corvallis, expected to be immediate force on defensive line

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Oregon State Beavers defensive tackle Jalen Grimble (10) as the Beavers practiced indoors Friday at the end of their fourth week of spring football practice in Corvallis.
(Randy L. Rasmussen/The Oregonian)

CORVALLIS — Oregon State was just supposed to be the first stop on Jalen Grimble’s summer Pac-12 tour, as the Miami transfer searched for a new football destination closer to his hometown of Las Vegas.

Yet once he got to Corvallis, Grimble didn’t want to leave.

“Once he met Mike Riley and the guys, it was a wrap,” recalled Grimble’s father, Jerry, while watching practice Monday. “He didn’t want to go look at no other place.”

Now Grimble is poised to be an immediate force for the Beavers at defensive tackle, one that will be on display for fans for the first time at Saturday’s Spring Football Showcase.

“He’s a seasoned veteran,” defensive line coach Joe Seumalo said. “He’s just got to do what we’re asking him to do …

“He could have gone anywhere in the Pac-12 and he decided to come here. We’re very fortunate that he’s here, because that helps everybody.”

Coaches and teammates have raved about Grimble this spring because of the athleticism that explodes out of his 6-foot-2, 297-pound frame. They think his presence inside will help ease the blow of the loss of end Scott Crichton, who left OSU early to declare for the NFL Draft.

But three years ago, Beavers defensive coordinator Mark Banker never would have predicted Grimble would ultimately end up here.

OSU recruited the former five-star prospect out of Bishop Gorman High, but Banker could tell that Grimble was not very interested.

"His lean definitely wasn't toward the Beavers," Banker said " ... (We wondered), 'Are we just chasing our tail, or do we get on with guys that are real on the recruiting process?'"

Grimble had more than 15 offers, after all, including from big-name programs like USC, Stanford, Michigan and Nebraska. After first committing to USC, Jerry Grimble said his son got caught up in “the big logo” of Miami and didn’t take all of his allowed visits before signing with the Hurricanes.

Following two seasons and six total tackles, Grimble wanted to move back closer to home.

The biggest reason why? His mother, Amy.

“She wasn’t a big fan of me being so far away,” Grimble said.

OSU was the first school to call when Grimble got his release from Miami last August, which first made him think landing in Corvallis could be his destiny. But he also drew interest from “four or five” other Pac-12 schools, so Jalen and Jerry saddled up for a round of visits.

OSU just happened to be the first stop. Jalen loved the coaches. And after living in big cities like Las Vegas and Miami, the small-town vibe of Corvallis was refreshing.

Sold.

“It’s hard to find a place like this,” Grimble said. “ … It was hard to come by and hard to leave.”

While sitting out the 2013 season due to NCAA transfer rules, Grimble garnered a reputation as a scout team terror by consistently pushing back the Beavers’ first-team offensive line. Still, he admits the season off from games was difficult and taught him to never take the opportunity to play the sport for granted.

“You’d put a lot of work in during the week and don’t get a reward on the weekend,” Grimble said of life on the scout team. “It taught me a big, valuable lesson.”

These days, Grimble is lining up on the interior with the first unit, where Banker said he’s been impressed with the player’s “quiet confidence” in addition his physical gifts.

Grimble made his choice to become a Beaver on his visit. He knew it was the right one while on the sideline during OSU’s season opener against Eastern Washington, where he was surrounded by the biggest crowd he had ever seen at a college football game.

And perhaps Grimble's decision was confirmed again Monday, when his dad strolled the sidelines at practice after a two-hour flight, rather than a full day of traveling.

“It means everything,” Grimble said of his new football opportunity. “Coach Riley and Coach Joe, they gave me another chance at football.